Comma Rules Review

Commas are used to indicate a pause between parts of a sentence, to separate items in a list, to set off non-essential information, and to clarify meaning.

A comma should be used before a conjunction (like 'and', 'but', 'or') when it connects two independent clauses.

Use commas to separate the items in the list, and place a conjunction before the last item (e.g., apples, oranges, and bananas).

After dinner, we went for a walk.

A comma should be placed after the closing phrase, such as 'Sincerely,' or 'Very truly yours,'.

An address should be punctuated with commas separating the street address, city, and state (e.g., 214 Hampton Avenue, Lexington, South Carolina 29072).

A non-essential clause adds information but can be removed without changing the sentence's meaning. It is set off by commas (e.g., My brother, who lives in New York, is visiting).

Do not use a comma to separate a subject from its verb or to separate two items that are closely related.

The Oxford comma is the final comma in a list of items, placed before 'and' or 'or'. It is used to avoid ambiguity.

Use commas to separate two or more coordinate adjectives that describe the same noun (e.g., It was a long, exhausting day).